Little Princess
by missauburnleaf
Summary: "Fíli would never forget what it had felt like to hold her for the very first time, his daughter: 47 centimetres and 2710 grams of life." Fíli and Sigrid are very happy about the birth of their daughter. But soon they receive devastating news... Though the main focus is on Fíli and Sigrid and the development of their relationship, this story will also contain Kiliel...
1. Prologue

She wasn't planned, but she was very welcome, their little princess. Svenja. The name meant female warrior, and a warrior she was, from the moment she came into being. Their little princess (or warrior) had been born two weeks early and the birth itself hadn't been without complications.

Sigrid would often claim that it had been her fault because she hadn't taken care of herself properly since she hadn't known about her pregnancy in the beginning. Fíli would have none of it. He would always say that Sigrid had done everything she could to keep their daughter safe while not knowing about her condition (that is being pregnant).

However, after twelve hours of labour Fíli had been sent out of the delivery room because the doctors needed to perform a caesarean section. And so he had sat with Kíli, Tauriel, Dís, Thorin and Bard in the waiting area; they had not been talking to each other. The only comfort he had gotten was Kíli holding his hand and Tauriel somehow managing to wrap her arms around the two of them. And then she was there, this bundle of joy. His little princess. Their little princess.

Fíli would never forget what it had felt like to hold her for the very first time, his daughter: 47 centimetres and 2710 grams of life.

After five days, his girls - Sigrid and Svenja - could come home with him. It would be the best days of his life. Fíli used every opportunity to take pictures of Svenja, sleeping in her crib, being breastfed by Sigrid, being bathed by her auntie Tauriel, having her diapers changed by her uncle Kíli, being held by her grandma, her grandpa, and great-uncle, smiling because Bain and Tilda were making funny faces.

But then, one morning, ten days after her birth, Sigrid noticed that something was wrong with their baby girl. She wasn't drinking properly and running a fever. Fíli, still in his grey sleeping pants and a well-worn olive-green t-shirt rushed his girlfriend (still in leggings, top and flip-flops) and their daughter to the paediatrician, only taking some time to put on his trainers (later he noticed that they had been Kíli's).

Then, at the doctor's, they had to wait for almost one and a half hours before the paediatrician examined their daughter, sending them immediately to the hospital because something was wrong with her lungs.

There they had to wait again.

Fíli watched helplessly as Sigrid clutched their tiny daughter to her chest, wrapped in her yellow-and-pink crotched blanket, a gift from Dís for the little girl's birth, humming a lullaby. He tried to ignore the judging stares of the other people in the waiting area.

Of course they would judge them, not being properly dressed and oh-so-young (Sigrid was only nineteen, Fíli twenty-four), in the eyes of the others they must be bad parents. But they weren't. They would do anything for their daughter. Anything.

And then the devastating news: Svenja had to stay in the hospital because she had trouble breathing due to pneumonia and they even had to use ECMO on her!

Since Sigrid refused to leave her daughter's side, it was Fíli who called their family in order to tell them what was wrong with their little princess. Half an hour later, they were all there at the hospital: Kíli and Tauriel, Bard, Tilda and Bain, Dís and Thorin. Fíli didn't even try to hide his tears.

"The doctor advised us to say our goodbyes - she might not last the night!" he sobbed.

It was Kíli who took him into his arms, trying to offer some comfort while crying himself, Thorin punched the nearest wall, Dís collapsed into one of the chairs in the waiting area, Bard pulled Bain and Tilda close, Tauriel pressed a hand to her mouth, blinking away tears.

Svenja was definitely well loved.


	2. First Encounter

Sigrid was only seventeen and a trainee nurse when she met Fíli for the first time.

She had the morning shift in the hospital and just wanted to check on one of her patients, a new admittance, who was in really bad shape according to the night nurse. It turned out to be eighteen-year-old Kíli Durinson, who had been the victim of an assault and who was accompanied by his older brother, Fíli Durinson.

Initially, Sigrid had just wanted to introduce herself as was customary when there was a change of shifts. But then she noticed that not only Kíli looked rather beaten up but also his older brother who was not a patient and she asked if he needed some medical attention.

"Nay, I'm fine," he answered while getting up from his chair, pushing back a stray strand of his brother's unruly dark hair.

"You certainly don't look fine," she said, assessing his cut and bruised face, the dried blood beneath his nose, the black eye.

"Well, you should have seen the others," he joked feebly, but when it didn't have the desired effect on her, he frowned.

"Don't worry I'm just here because of my brother. He needed to be hospitalized and I couldn't leave him alone," he explained, sighing.

Sigrid noticed how tired he looked. Apparently, he had been up all night.

"Look, I can assure you, your brother is in good hands. Why don't you go home, take a shower, sleep a couple of hours and then come back? You are no use to him, exhausted as you are," she remarked.

Fíli smiled sadly, shaking his head. "No, I can't. He will ask for me when he wakes up. And if I'm not here then, you won't be able to calm him down. I have to wait until he wakes up so that I can explain to him why I have to leave him alone for a while. It's my fault, after all, that he is in the hospital now," he whispered, more to himself than to her.

"Why is that? What happened?" she wanted to know. Those were personal questions and it was clearly against protocol, but for some reason, she took an interest in this young man who was so devoted to his younger brother.

"I was supposed to look after him. Our mother and our uncle are on a business trip and his nurse had the night off. But I wanted to go out with some friends, so I took him with me - bad idea," he explained.

Sigrid frowned. "He seems pretty much grown up to me. So why does he need someone to look after him?" she asked.

Fíli turned towards her, looking straight into her eyes and Sigrid could feel butterflies in her stomach. He really had beautiful eyes, light-blue, like the sky on a cold, but clear spring morning.

"You see, when he was twelve, my brother had an accident and due to this his brain was damaged," Fíli stated.

Sigrid gasped, looking at the pretty boy in the hospital bed. She felt sorry for him.

Clearing his throat, Fíli drew her attention back to him. "Therefore Kíli doesn't act like the eighteen-year-old he is now, but rather like an eight- to ten-year-old, depending on his condition, meaning he has good days and bad days. Some people can't deal with that, especially when he is fooling about, blurting out inappropriate things. Like last night. Some guys took offence, assaulted him, although I informed them about his condition. They said they wouldn't ' _take any shit from a fucking retard'_ , striking a blow. Of course, I had to defend my baby brother and then we were in the middle of a pub brawl," he elaborated.

"That's so awful, Mr Durinson. I'm really sorry about everything," Sigrid answered.

He mumbled something she couldn't understand.

"Excuse me?" she inquired.

Fíli smiled at her so that his dimples became visible and Sigrid's stomach did a somersault. He was really handsome with his shoulder-length, flaxen curls and a trimmed beard of the same colour.

"Please call me Fíli, not Mr Durinson. Mr Durinson is my uncle, so being addressed like that makes me feel old... Nurse Sigrid," he said.

Sigrid smiled back, flirtingly (although this was highly inappropriate since he was the relative of one of her patients).

"Only Sigrid, please. Being called 'Nurse Sigrid' makes me feel like an old spinster," she declared boldly and they looked into each other's eyes for a while, until Fíli cleared his throat again.

"Don't you have to look after your other patients?" he reminded her of her duty.

Sigrid gasped in shock. "Oh, shit, yes, you are right! I'm supposed to briefly introduce myself to the patients, not to chat with them! The chief nurse will be furious with me," Sigrid exclaimed, rushing towards the door, but Fíli called her back.

Her hand on the doorhandle, she turned around.

"If your chief nurse is giving you a hard time, tell her it has been my fault that it took you so long to check on Kíli. Tell her that I have asked a lot of silly questions about my brother's condition and wouldn't let you go. I will confirm your story," he offered.

Sigrid smiled at him. "Thank you, Fíli!"

Then she left the room.

When she returned one and a half hours later with breakfast, Kíli was still asleep but nevertheless, he had another visitor, a beautiful redhead with very long hair, wearing faded blue jeans shorts, a green top, a brown loose-knit cardigan and ankle boots of the same colour. She was currently unpacking a bag and quietly talking to Fíli.

"I don't understand why you didn't call me last night. Or sent me a message, at least. You know I would have come immediately if I knew what had happened," she explained while putting a chequered pyjama in light and dark blue on the bed.

"Of course you would have, Tau. But you don't need to. That's why I didn't inform you then," Fíli remarked.

Sigrid felt her heart sink. The young woman was certainly Fíli's girlfriend, why else would she be so upset about what had happened and not being informed about it?

Disappointed, she made her presence known while stepping inside the room. "Good morning, I'm bringing breakfast for Kíli Durinson," she announced while placing the tray on Kíli's bedside table.

"Thank you, Sigrid," Fíli said with an honest smile.

Sigrid simply nodded and made a move to leave the room when Fíli called her back - again.

With a small smile, she turned around. "Yes please?"

She could see that Fíli was frowning due to her sudden coolness since earlier this morning she had definitely flirted with him. But that was before she knew that he had a girlfriend. That bastard had definitely toyed with her!

Fíli cleared his throat. "I just want to know when the doctor will have a look at Kíli. I'm a little bit worried because he hasn't woken up since they gave him a tranquilizer and pain killers in the ER last night," he inquired.

"Normally the doctor will do his rounds shortly before noon. But if you are concerned, I can check his pulse," she offered.

The redhead, who had just taken a children's book out of the bag (it was an illustrated copy of ' _The Adventures of Pinocchio_ '), turned towards her. "Oh, that's not necessary - I just did that," she explained and then placed the book in the drawer of Kíli's nightstand before turning her attention back to the bag.

Sigrid's confusion must have been visible on her face since Fíli elaborated, "Tauriel is a nurse."

 _Maybe he has a thing for nurses_ , Sigrid thought.

"Well, then I will come back later to collect the tray. He should wake up anytime soon," she explained and then almost fled the room, cursing herself for being so stupid, thinking that someone like Fíli could be really interested in her.

When Sigrid came back later for the tray, there was no trace of Fíli, but Kíli was sitting in bed fully awake and wearing the chequered pyjamas the redhead had brought. He must have eaten his breakfast because gone were the tea and the toast.

"Good morning Mr Durinson, it's good to see you awake," she said cheerfully.

The dark-haired boy looked confused around the room. "But Uncle isn't here, why do you talk to him?" he asked.

The redhead, who occupied a chair next to the bed, chuckled. "She is talking to you, Kíli," she explained.

The boy frowned. "But I'm Kíli, not Mr Durinson," he answered.

This statement reminded Sigrid of the conversation she had had with his brother earlier this morning.

"If you prefer to be called Kíli, then I will call you Kíli," she assured him, lifting the tray off the nightstand, heading for the door.

Before she left the room she could hear Kíli saying, "I like the pretty nurse!"

That comment made her smile.


	3. First Date

Their first real date was in the hospital's cafeteria after her shift had ended. But before it came to that, they had to clear up a few misunderstandings.

When Sigrid returned the next morning, making her rounds to inform the patients that she would be their nurse until two thirty p.m. (she would have the first shift for the rest of the week), Fíli was sitting with his brother. Sigrid couldn't help but notice that he even looked more handsome freshly showered and casually dressed in tight, light blue jeans, a beige t-shirt and a brown cardigan (in contrast to his white button-down shirt and black leather jacket from the day before), with his hair pulled together in a bun at the back of his head whereas two small braids were framing his face. Yet she tried to ignore his presence, focusing solely on her patient.

"Good morning, Kíli, I'm Sigrid and I will be your nurse this morning. Have you chosen your meals for today?" she asked cheerfully, reaching for the form lying on his nightstand.

"Yes, I have," he answered, beaming at her. Sigrid couldn't help but smile back before having a quick glance at the form he had filled in.

For breakfast, Kíli had crossed out 'Tea' and 'Coffee' and added 'Cocoa' to the list - which he had ticked. Sigrid frowned.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any cocoa," she explained.

Fíli chuckled. "I've told him so, but he wouldn't listen. Just ignore it. Tauriel will come later with some cocoa, so just bring him the rest of the breakfast, okay?"

Sigrid nodded, briefly checking his preferences for lunch (pasta with tomato sauce) and tea (two sandwiches with ham and cheese and peppermint tea). Then she left without risking a second glance at Fíli (who had given her the dimples again).

When she returned two hours later with the breakfast tray, the redhead was back, sitting in the chair Fíli had previously occupied, reading ' _The Adventures of Pinocchio_ ' to Kíli who was happily sipping what looked like a cocoa-to-go.

"Did you put cinnamon in my porridge?" Kíli asked as Sigrid placed the tray on the nightstand, interrupting the redhead' s reading.

"Erm..." Sigrid said, not knowing whether (but highly doubting that) the kitchen staff used something fancy like cinnamon.

"Kíli, she didn't make your breakfast, she just brings it to you," the redhead explained, closing the book.

"Oh. So there isn't any cinnamon in my porridge? I don't like it when there is no cinnamon in it," Kíli pouted.

Helplessly, Sigrid looked at the redhead. To her surprise, the other woman winked at her before turning towards Kíli. "I know, Kíli. That's why I brought some cinnamon from home with me."

Saying that she took a small plastic bag out of her handbag, got up from her chair and walked over to the dark-haired boy, offering him the plastic bag so that he could smell its contents.

"Here, see? Cinnamon. I'll put some of it in your porridge, alright, Kíli?"

Sigrid watched as the beautiful redhead approached the nightstand, carefully spreading a small amount of the brown powder over the greyish white mush they called porridge here. Then she rearranged the nightstand so that Kíli could eat his breakfast while sitting in bed.

Sigrid was just leaving the room when she collided with Fíli who was just about to enter.

"Whoa! Careful!" he exclaimed while grabbing her forearms in order to steady her. He smelled of smoke and outside.

"Sorry," Sigrid mumbled, freeing herself from his grip, brushing past him, needing to put some distance between him and her. Feeling his hands on her body had rattled her more than she would have thought, knowing that this would very likely be the only time, that he would never belong to her, having such a beautiful girlfriend.

"Sigrid, please wait!" he called after her and to her surprise she complied, stopping dead in her tracks, so as if her feet didn't obey her brain anymore.

"What is it, Mr Durinson, do you need anything?" she asked politely.

Fíli looked at her with a confused expression. "I thought I made it clear that you can call me Fíli," he answered.

"Yes, you did, but calling the relatives of patients by their first name is not very professional," she explained.

This seemed to confuse him even more. "Did something happen? Did the chief nurse reprimand you or something?" he wanted to know.

Sigrid shook her head. "No, but I decided for myself to keep my relationship with you professional," she remarked.

Fíli looked devastated. "But why is that? I thought we got along very well... Or did I say something stupid? Did I offend you in any way?" he inquired.

Sigrid sighed. His expression was so honest, it seemed as if he didn't know what had gotten into her. To be fair, she didn't really know it herself. Maybe he had just tried to be nice to her and she had interpreted it as him flirting with her. It was her fault then, not his.

"It's not your fault... Fíli. I... I find you very attractive and think I could like you. But that is out of the question, there can't be anything between us," she confessed and she could see him blushing.

"I think I could like you too, Sigrid, and I would love to get to know you better. So why can't there be anything between us? I would like to give it a try unless... unless you have a boyfriend?" he asked tentatively.

Sigrid couldn't help herself but laugh at his assumption. She didn't have a boyfriend, never had one. But he obviously had a girlfriend and she reminded him of this little fact he seemed to have forgotten. He looked at her as if she was sprouting two heads.

"Me? A girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend, haven't had one for years. Why on earth would you think I have one?"

Now Sigrid was confused. "But what about the redhead? Sorry, I forgot her name. I thought she was your girlfriend," she admitted.

For a moment Fíli looked at her unbelievingly, then he laughed as if she had told him the funniest joke in the world.

"What? You thought that Tauriel was my girlfriend? Oh my, don't let her hear that, she will have your head for that assumption! About two years ago, she had just started working for my family then, I tried to kiss her at my uncle's New Year's Eve party - she almost broke my arm while putting a wristlock on me. To my defence, I had been a little bit drunk. Normally I don't try to kiss beautiful girls without asking permission first," he stated, winking at her.

Now Sigrid was blushing herself, feeling absolutely stupid! She had assumed that the redhead - Tauriel - had been Fíli's girlfriend because she had appeared to be so familiar in her dealings with the brothers. But apparently, she was only an employee...

"So, what does she do?" Sigrid asked.

Fíli frowned. "Who? What do you mean?" he asked.

Sigrid rolled her eyes. "Tauriel. You say she works for your family..."

Fíli nodded. "Oh, yes, she does. She is Kíli's nurse," he answered.

Now everything made perfect sense. Sigrid remembered Fíli explaining the day before that he had had to take his brother with him because his nurse had had the night off. But she had imagined this nurse to be some stern looking, middle aged woman, not a hot twenty-something and she told Fíli that.

He chuckled. "Well, my uncle hadn't been happy with my mother's and Kíli's choice, believe me. He was afraid that something improper might happen since Tauriel has to assist Kíli with bathing and dressing and although he behaves like a little boy, he has the body of a fully grown man - if you get my meaning. But Kíli threw a fit when he was told that Tauriel might not become his new nurse, claiming that he would chase any other nurse away until uncle would hire her and mother argued that according to Tauriel's references and diplomas, she was the best we could get to take care of Kíli. So, uncle agreed to give her a chance. And until today - I hope I'm not jinxing it - we've had no reason to complain. She is not only devoted to her job, but also to Kíli. And she has become a good friend," Fíli told her.

Sigrid was nonplussed. "Oh, Fíli, I'm so sorry for my behaviour. I came to the wrong conclusions and treated you respectively. I hope you can forgive me because..." She interrupted herself, taking a deep breath before confessing, "because I would like to get to know you better too!"

Fíli looked as if Easter and Christmas happened to be on the same day.

"That's great, Sigrid. So, can I invite you to a cup of coffee? When will you finish work?" he asked eagerly.

"My shift ends at two thirty p.m. We can go and have some coffee in the hospital's cafeteria then. If you believe it or not, the stuff is pretty decent there," she proposed.

Fíli gave her the dimples. "I'll wait for you in front of the nurses' room and escort you to the cafeteria because for me this is a date," he stated firmly.

Sigrid felt her heart skipping a beat. "It's a date, then," she confirmed, smiling nervously before turning towards her serving trolley in order to give the other patients their breakfast as well, smiling the whole time.


	4. First Time

My thanks go to **thewolf74** , **pallysdeeks** and **Askja1907** for their reviews!

* * *

Their first time happened in Fíli's car when he brought her home after a date.

Like so many other things in their relationship, it wasn't planned.

They had been seeing each other for almost two months then, and although they had already tried different things (only last week, she had even allowed him to go down on her for the very first time and to her surprise she had liked it more than she would have thought), they had never gone all the way. That was about to change on Sigrid's eighteenth birthday.

After having spent the afternoon with Sigrid's family, chatting over coffee and cake with her father and her siblings about unimportant things, Fíli invited her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, just the two of them.

Sigrid felt misplaced in her new but cheap sundress, made from light blue polyester with a pale yellow floral print and a knitted cardigan when taking a glimpse at the other women in that establishment, all of them looking like supermodels or trophy wives of some sort, smartly dressed and perfectly styled, none of them being such a plain Jane like her with almost no make-up on and her dark blond curls in a simple fishtail braid.

Fíli, however, acted as if he belonged there, looking especially handsome in his well-fitted summer suit made from ecru linen and a light blue shirt of the same material (and for a moment she thought how funny it was that they had dressed in similar colours), his blond curls pulled into a ponytail, except from the two braids he wore every day, framing his face.

Sigrid had asked him once if they had some special meaning and Fíli had explained that they actually did because after his accident, Kíli had not only had to learn how to speak and walk again, but also to train his fine motor skills, and his physiotherapist had come up with the brilliant idea that Kíli could do so by braiding his brothers long hair. Of course, his first attempts had looked messy and crooked but over time he had perfected those skills so that he now braided Fíli's hair every day and it had become some kind of bonding ritual between the brothers.

Sigrid thought that this was rather cute.

While following the young waiter who was leading them to their table, Sigrid could feel the stares of the other people, immediately being reminded of her school days when the other kids had picked on her because her family couldn't afford brand-named clothes and she had to wear hand-knitted sweaters and homemade dresses. Although they had been the cause for her being ridiculed by the others, Sigrid still kept them. They had been made by her mother and Sigrid cherished them for that reason alone.

"Sigrid?" Fíli's voice brought her back to the present.

Apparently they had arrived at their table. Fíli set the chair in place for her before sitting down himself and the waiter first lit the candle, then he handed out the menus to them. Fíli ordered a bottle of water and bottle of wine.

When Sigrid looked at the prices she couldn't believe her eyes. Why would people spend so much money on food, no matter how good it was?

"I think I'll have the steak with a baked potato and some lamb's lettuce," he declared, closing the menu and looking expectantly at her. "What about you, Sig?"

She sighed. Of course, she wouldn't have to pay for her meal - Fíli had made that clear - yet she didn't want to order anything too expensive because she didn't want to appear as if she was taking advantage of his offer.

"Well, I think I'll have the mixed salad with fried chicken breast," she finally decided, closing the menu as well.

Fíli raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I mean, you can order anything from the menu, so why don't you choose something fancy?" he asked.

"I-I'm not that hungry," she lied, avoiding his eyes.

Fíli sighed. "Sigrid, we've already talked about this. You don't have to be modest when I'm buying you dinner," he explained and Sigrid could feel her cheeks growing red, especially when he added, "I like spending money on you."

Nobody - except from her family - had ever been nice to her without wanting something in return, so she had difficulties to accept his generosity, always having the thought in the back of mind that he might expect some kind of repayment. Since she was poor, the only payment she could offer was her body and she didn't want to have that kind of relationship with him.

And it wasn't as if Fíli expected something like that from her.

After finding out how young she really was, he had promised her to never initiate anything sexual unless she was ready for it. So far he had kept his promise, always asking permission before kissing or touching her, asking if she liked it that way and if she was alright. Sigrid knew that he was a very considerate first boyfriend and lover.

So Sigrid smiled because he liked to see her smile. "I know Fíli. But you have to understand that I don't like to accept charity."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, she knew that she had involuntarily insulted him. It was visible in the set of his jaw, in the expression of his eyes. Sometimes it scared her how good she was at reading him (and he at reading her) after the short time they had been together.

"This isn't charity, Sigrid. I'm doing something nice for my girlfriend. I thought you knew that. Inviting you to dinner is the same as giving you a small gift in order to express my appreciation of you. But maybe you consider them as charity as well," he said acidly.

Oh yes, the gifts.

Every time they met, he would give her something. A book she had told him about, the hair conditioner she had wanted to buy for a very long time but couldn't really afford, her favourite chocolates.

"Fíli, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know that you only want to be nice. Let's just forget about this stupid conversation and enjoy the evening," she suggested, placing her hand over his, slightly stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

It had the desired effect on him. Sigrid could see how his breath hitched, then he swallowed hard, before smiling at her, sporting his dimples.

"It's okay. I should have known better than to pout. Kíli is the one whom pouting suits, not me," he joked and they both chuckled.

When the waiter returned with their water and wine, they ordered their food. Although Sigrid normally didn't drink any alcohol, not even when her father permitted it on special occasions like Christmas, New Year's Eve or birthdays, she decided to give the wine Fíli had ordered a chance, if only because it was a Rosé and the colour reminded her of her little sister. To her surprise it tasted wonderful, sweet and fresh, and the only comparison that came to her mind was that it tasted like a perfect summer's day, like her birthdays used to be when their mother was still with them and her mother was excelling herself in order to make it a memorable event.

But those days were long gone and if Sigrid had learned one thing in her life, it was that dwelling on the past wasn't good for anyone.

When their food arrived, Sigrid noticed how hungry she really was; maybe she should have ordered more than just a salad. However, after taking the first bite, she moaned involuntarily: This was the best salad she had ever eaten. And even the chicken tasted more like chicken if that made any sense.

Fíli seemed to be pleased that she liked the food. "See? I told you that they whip up pretty decent meals here!" he commented smugly which prompted her to roll her eyes.

"Fíli! You could show more respect towards the amazing person who prepared this wonderful dinner!" she scolded him.

Fíli grinned at her. "Oh, I do so on a regular basis. Bombur, the owner and _maître de cuisine_ , and Sookie, his wife and _sous-chef_ , are good friends with my mother and uncle," he confessed.

Shaking her head, Sigrid couldn't help but grin back.

After the main course, Fíli insisted on ordering dessert and while he had some _petits fours frais_ , Sigrid went for a _crème brûlée_ because she had heard so much about it (it happened to be Tauriel's favourite dessert and despite Sigrid's initial reservations towards the red-haired woman, they had become good friends). Sigrid had to admit that the dessert was good, though not overwhelming.

Slightly giddy from the wine (except from the one glass Fíli had had, Sigrid had drunken the major part of the bottle's contents), she clung to Fíli's arm when they left the restaurant, no longer being ashamed of her cheap dress and hand-knitted, dark-blue cardigan (she had made it herself last autumn while watching her favourite series on TV) because a gorgeous man was in love with her and she with him.

After getting into Fíli's car, she turned on the radio, searching for a song she might like, finding none. Frustrated she leant back in the passenger seat.

"You know, I can put one of my CDs into the audio system if you don't mind," he offered.

Sigrid shrugged. "I don't mind. It can't be any worse than the crap they are broadcasting at the moment," she replied, knowing full well that Fíli preferred classic rock and metal (like her father, that was how she recognized most of the songs he listened to) whereas she usually favoured whatever was on the charts.

But then, he surprised her with a compilation of rock ballads, starting with a cover version (all of the songs he listened to were cover versions, for whatever reason) of "A Whiter Shade of Pale", followed by "Summer Wine", "Stairway to Heaven" and "Nothing Else Matters". When they were driving through the rural area that separated her small hometown from the big city where Fíli lived and where they just had dinner, she heard the first sounds of "Soldier of Fortune" and something in her melted. When the singer sang "Come lay with me and love me" she made a decision.

"Fíli, I don't want to go home right now," she confessed, biting her lower lip while watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Fíli briefly glanced at her before focussing his attention back on the road. "So what do you suggest? What shall we do?" he asked.

Feeling bold, Sigrid cleared her throat before saying, "There is this parking lot which the kids in my town call lovers' lane..."

She could see that Fíli briefly tensed before asking, "Are you sure?"

Her own, rather breathless answer was "Yes."

After that, she pointed out where he had to turn left, leaving the country road in order to reach the parking lot. Theirs was the only car there.

She barely gave him time to turn off the engine before she was upon him, kissing him wildly, her hands roaming over his still clothed body, stealing beneath the garments, freeing him of them.

Of course, he responded eagerly to her advances, helping her to get rid of the flimsy dress and plain white bra, just as she had helped him to shed his jacket and was busy opening the buttons on his shirt, brushing it off his shoulders while straddling his lap.

Finally, she could feel his skin with the coarse body hair beneath her fingertips, panting as his mouth locked onto one of her nipples while she opened his belt and trousers, freeing his impressive member from its confinement, massaging it the way she knew he liked.

"Sigrid!" he moaned into her ear, gripping her backside tightly to the point of bruising before burying his face in the crook of her neck and she knew that it would happen then and there.

"Please, Fíli, I need to feel you... inside of me!" she finally admitted which caused him to hold her at arms' length so that he could look into her eyes.

"Are you... are you sure?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yes, of course, I'm sure. I want to be with you completely, I want you to be my first!" she declared and for a moment he just looked into her eyes before crashing his lips to hers.

They didn't speak after that, too preoccupied with feeling and touching and tasting.

At some point, he leant over and opened the glove department on the passenger side in order to take out a package of condoms and for a moment she considered asking him why he kept his condoms there but decided against it. She didn't want to ruin the moment.

And then he ripped open the foil, rolling the condom onto his engorged member and it hit her that now was the moment when she would lose her virginity.

Her sudden panic must have been visible on her face because he hesitated, studying her for a moment. "Sigrid, are you sure?" he wanted to know again, yet there was only one correct answer to this and she whispered, "Yes."

Fíli looked straight into her eyes as he helped her getting rid of her knickers and spreading her folds while positioning himself at her entrance.

And then he slid inside.

It hurt at first, more than she thought it would, but Fíli was patient, waiting until she signalled to him that it was okay to move. And then, slowly but surly the pain subsided, being replaced by pleasure. However, she didn't reach her peak until he started massaging her clit in time with his thrusts and then she threw her head back, crying out his name as the best orgasm she ever had hit her. As she was convulsing around him, he followed her over the edge, her name on his lips.

Afterward, Sigrid didn't know how long it took them to come down from their high, clinging to each other, caressing, kissing.

"Are you alright?" Fíli finally asked after their breathing had slowed down and Sigrid noticed how coarse her throat was. "Yes. And you?" she wanted to know in turn.

Fíli smiled fondly at her. "Never been better, my Sigrid."

Then he lifted her hips from his lap so that he could pull out of her before getting rid of the condom.

For a brief moment, Sigrid considered getting dressed but decided that she was too sleepy for that. Their recent activities had really worn her out and she could do with a nap.

Looking into Fíli's happy but equally exhausted face, she knew that he felt the same.

And against all odds, they dozed off while cuddling in a very uncomfortable position in the driver's seat.


	5. First Interlude

The room was quiet except from the beeping noises of the machines and occasional sobs of those present. Nobody spoke a word while spending what might be the last hours of Svenja's life at the infant's sick bed.

Sigrid hadn't eaten or slept for almost three days now, not since this dreadful morning when she had noticed that her baby girl was sick, refusing to be fed, having a temperature.

Fíli had half-heartedly tried to coax his girlfriend into eating something, into driving home, taking a shower and a nap, but she had flat out refused to leave her daughter alone and Fíli had thrown in the towel, not eating or sleeping himself.

And now their whole family was there, crowding the room in the neonatal intensive care unit, supporting Fíli and Sigrid, supporting each other.

Tauriel and Kíli were stooping over their niece, caressing her fine blond curls (the same shade as Fíli's), her chubby cheeks, her tiny fists. As the baby grabbed a strand of the redhead's long hair, Tauriel smiled, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. It was very painful for her to say goodbye to the child she already loved like her own, especially after having miscarried the previous month.

Tauriel had been seven days late when taking the pregnancy test, immediately telling her fiancée the happy news. Two days later the bleeding had started.

Kíli had been inconsolable, not being able to comprehend why their child wasn't allowed to live. And now he was heartbroken because he might lose his niece.

Life wasn't fair.

When Tauriel took his hand in order to lead him over to the uncomfortable plastic chairs to make room for Svenja's other relatives, he started sobbing heartbreakingly. This time it was Fíli who rushed to his side, embracing him tightly as Tauriel simply stood by, too lost in her own grief.

And then it was Dís' turn to say goodbye to her first grandchild, gripping the blanket she had crocheted herself as soon as she was told that Sigrid was having a girl, a gift for Svenja's birth. Carefully, she draped the blanket over the naked, tiny body and the baby looked at her from her beautiful blue eyes with grey and golden flecks (definitely Sigrids's eyes) as if she was thankful for the gesture. Then Dís leaned down and pressed a kiss to her granddaughter's forehead as Bard stood next to her, holding one of Svenja's little feet in his hand while placing a light pink plush bunny in the crib, blinking away tears because the baby girl looked like Sigrid and Tilda had done when they had been babies themselves.

Afterward, he lifted his youngest daughter up so that she could touch Svenja's small hand, prompting the baby to wrap her fingers around Tilda's pointer whereas Bain just stood next to his father with an unreadable expression, studying his niece as if he wanted to imprint her appearance into his memory.

Thorin was the last one to walk up to his grandniece. In his hands he was holding a delicate id bracelet made from rose gold, bearing the baby's name and date of birth. He had commissioned Dori, a family friend and very talented jeweller who was working for the Durinson company, to make it and ironically it had been finished the day Svenja had fallen ill. Now Thorin put it around the little girl's left wrist.

For him, it was some kind of family tradition.

He and his siblings had worn id bracelets as children (Thorin in white gold, Frerin in yellow gold and Dís in rose gold) and he had continued that tradition when commissioning a yellow gold id bracelet for Fíli and a white gold id bracelet for Kíli after each of his nephews' birth. Despite being adults (well, maybe not really in Kíli's case, at least with regard to his mental condition) they both still wore it. And while Thorin's shaking hands were fumbling with the fastening, he silently prayed that he would be able to see Svenja still wearing it as an adult as well.


	6. Confession

I'd like to thank everyone who is reading this story and especially pallysdeeks for her review on the last chapter!

* * *

Although it was actually Tauriel's job to help Kíli with bathing, Fíli tried to take over this task as often as possible, being reminded of the time when his brother had still been a little boy, when a wonderful future had been ahead of him, before the accident.

And so it happened that he was monitoring Kíli's personal hygiene on a Saturday morning at eight o'clock, making sure that his little brother washed his private parts as well as his long hair, when Kíli totally surprised him with an unexpected statement. "Fíli, I want to marry Tauriel."

For a moment, the blond, young man was speechless.

"What... How... Why do you want to marry her?" he finally asked.

Kíli just shrugged. "Because she is always so nice to me," he answered.

Fíli sighed. "Kíli, she is nice to you because we pay her 700 Euros per week, all found, for taking care of you," he stated.

Kíli immediately pouted, giving him the puppy eyes. "That is not true, Fíli, and you know that. Tauriel doesn't need to be nice to me while taking care of me. She does it because she likes me. And I like her!" he exclaimed.

"Kíli, that still isn't enough to marry someone. Why don't you ask her to be your friend? I bet you could do with some more friends," Fíli argued. The only friends Kíli had were actually Fíli's friends, Ori and Gimli.

"Because she already is my friend, she said so herself only yesterday when we went to that fancy clothes shop and the shop assistant was rude to me," Kíli told his older brother.

That was new. Fíli didn't even know that his brother had been to a clothes shop, let alone that someone had mistreated him.

"Kíli, what happened?" he asked, drawing his eyebrows together.

Kíli took a deep breath. "Because yesterday was such a nice day, Mama suggested that instead of playing some board game with me inside or reading to me one of my books Tauriel should take me outside, go for a walk or something. And since Tauriel needed to do some stuff in the city centre, she took me there. So we went shopping for books, for clothes, for cosmetics."

Kíli made a pause, giggling. "Now I know why she always smells so good, Fee. It's her perfume. Something called... erm... Bra-Brasilian Dreams," he revealed.

"Oh yeah? So now you have found out her secret, thanks for telling me!" Fíli answered, winking, knowing full well which perfume Tauriel used; he had given it to her himself for her last birthday since it smelled deliciously of citrus fruits and coconut as well as of exotic flowers like jasmine and solar lily. It had reminded him of some exotic cocktail and, well, of her.

Somehow it made Fíli proud to know that Tauriel liked it that much that she wanted to buy it for herself when she had apparently run out of it.

Kíli giggled again. "Oh, and then we went to that clothes shop. She said she needed some new bras and while she went to the lingerie department she told me to look around in the men's department, promising that she would fetch me there later because I'm a big boy and such," Kíli remarked.

This information made Fíli frown.

On the one hand, he didn't like the thought that his baby brother's nurse took him with her while shopping for lingerie, on the other, he disliked it even more that she left him alone in a clothes shop. There were enough bad people in the world who might take advantage of Kíli in his condition.

But knowing that for his brother Tauriel was like the Fairy with Turquoise Hair for Pinocchio, he simply inquired, "What happened then?"

"Well, I got bored. Clothes aren't that exciting, contrary to books," Kíli said. Fíli had to smile at that because his brother was clearly talking about his books, if he knew what Fíli had to read for university he would have thought differently. Then Kíli continued, "I started to rearrange the mannequins they had there, even dressing them differently. The shop assistant didn't like it," he confessed and Fíli closed his eyes, shaking his head. Of course Kíli would do something stupid like that.

"She told me something about improper behaviour and even threatened to call the police although I didn't do anything wrong! That was when I mentioned that I was there with my nurse and the shop assistant called the manager who waited with me while the shop assistant went searching for Tauriel. Finally Tauriel rushed to the men's department and declared that I belonged to her, that she was responsible for me... You should have seen her, Fíli, standing there without shoes, wearing nothing but a bra and her jeans, explaining why she left me alone and that she was sorry for any trouble I might have caused, yet hinting at who my uncle was. The manager accepted her apology, but told her that she shouldn't bring me with her again and that we must leave immediately," Kíli told his brother.

Then he grinned like a Cheshire cat, adding, "Tauriel said that if I weren't welcome there, she wouldn't enter that shop ever again as well because I was her friend and if somebody didn't accept her friend, then she didn't want to have anything to do with them."

Fíli smiled at that. He had always known that Tauriel was a good choice for a nurse, despite his uncle's concerns. She might make mistakes from time, but the fact that she really cared for his baby brother, not only doing her job, balanced it all out. And the fact that she looked gorgeous was also an advantage, in Fíli's opinion. But maybe he shouldn't think that since he had a girlfriend.

"Well, then you can consider yourself lucky that she is your friend," he simply replied and Kíli nodded.

"I am! And because she is my friend and so pretty and nice, I want to marry her!" his little brother stated firmly.

Fíli sighed. Kíli really seemed to have set his mind on that. Maybe it was time Fíli told their mother about his brothers idiotic idea so that she could talk him out of it before Kíli did something stupid like proposing to Tauriel. He wasn't sure how the redhead would react to that.

So he simply countered, "We'll see about that, okay? But now it's time to get you out of the water, your skin is already really pruney."

Kíli pouted since he liked bathing a lot as Fíli knew, but he obediently took the towel Fíli handed him and stood up in order to dry himself off while his older brother did the same with Kíli's hair.


	7. Honesty

I'd like to thank all my readers for their interest in this story and especially pallysdeeks for the review on the last chapter:)

* * *

It was half past nine on a Saturday evening when Dís had to sort out the mess their new trainee had caused. As if she hadn't anything better to do in her free-time than to validate all of their company's orders and sales.

At least she could make the job pleasurable, that was why the fireplace was lit and she was wearing her oldest but most comfortable blue, white and red chequered flannel pyjamas, a well-worn white cardigan and comfortable slippers while sitting in her armchair, sipping a glass of port, reading through the files.

A soft knock at her door almost startled her.

"Enter!" she called with her most authoritarian voice that came with being a single mother of two boys as well as being the co-owner of famous and successful jewel company.

To her surprise, it was her younger son's nurse, Tauriel, who actually had the night off.

"What can I do for you, lass?" she asked the girl (because for her everyone younger than 25 was either a girl or a boy) while placing the papers on the side table.

Tauriel cleared her throat. "I'm sorry Ms Durinson, but I fear I have to quit my job", the beautiful redhead stated while standing in the doorway, worrying her lower lip.

Dís sighed.

"Well, first, come on in. Second, take a seat," she declared while pointing to the unoccupied armchair across from her.

The girl just did that. Then Dís offered her some port which the girl declined.

"Well, more for me, then," Dís joked but the girl didn't react accordingly.

Dís sighed again. "Alright, lass, what happened?" she wanted to know.

Tauriel took a deep breath. "Your son, Kíli, I think that... that he has developed certain feelings for me," she admitted.

Dís pinched the bridge of her nose. Thorin had anticipated something like that since Kíli was a young man, not a little boy. And while his mind was that of an eight- to ten-year-old, his body was not. So it was normal that he might have developed certain needs his mind could not comprehend.

"Has he tried anything inappropriate?" Dís asked bluntly.

Tauriel blushed. "N-no, of course not! But still I can see it in the way he acts towards me. For example, he no longer lets me help him with bathing because he says that his body 'is doing funny things' when I am there. So he asks me to wait outside until he has finished and is wrapped in his bathrobe. I know I should have told you earlier because one of my tasks is to make sure that he washes himself properly and doesn't drown in the tub..." she confessed.

Dís raised an eyebrow while studying the young woman; she seemed nervous, fiddling with the collection of different bracelets she wore on her left wrist. Bracelets which had a certain design Dís knew all too well.

"Did Kíli give you these?" she asked, pointing towards the suspicious items.

Tauriel drew her eyebrows together, nodding guiltily while lowering her gaze.

"Yes, he did. I know he makes them himself and that they are unique and very valuable. Therefore I once told him that he couldn't give them to me since people would pay a lot of money for those bracelets if they were sold by your company, but he threw a tantrum - I even had to sedate him - so I never again refused one of his presents," she said meekly.

"I see," was all that Dís remarked. And honestly, what else could she say? It appeared that her younger son was in love with his nurse, despite his mental condition. Giving her bracelets from their _Peter Pan Collection_ (that was how their company called jewellery designed and made by Kíli and which were worn by the rich and the famous), proved that he was courting her, how it was called in former times.

"So, you can understand why I have to quit my job?" Tauriel asked, frowning, looking at her with forest green eyes.

Dís nodded slowly. "Yes, I can. But you have to know that I will try everything to prevent you from quitting... We can pay you more than 700 Euros per week. What do you think about a rise in salary, let's say you'll get 800 Euros each week from now on, starting on Monday? I'll call Balin tonight and tomorrow you can sign the contract, okay? Regard it as some kind of compensation for your discomfort while taking care of Kíli," she offered.

To Dís' surprise, Tauriel seemed to be shocked.

"Ms Durinson, I didn't tell you this in order to get a rise in salary. I told you because I'm morally conflicted! It can't go on like this! Kíli is building his hopes up, thinking that one day he and I will be together... But this can't be! It's not right!" the redhead argued.

"Why?" Dís simply asked.

Tauriel took a deep breath. "Because he is my patient," she answered.

"And if he weren't?" Dís probed.

Tauriel fell silent.

"Do you like my son, Tauriel?" Dís wanted to know.

Tauriel hesitated. "Of course, I like him, otherwise I wouldn't have been taking care of him for the last two years," she countered.

Dís smiled knowingly. "Well, I didn't meant that kind of liking. I was asking you if you have developed feelings for him as well, feelings that are not the feelings a nurse has towards her patient," she elaborated, noticing the girl's discomfort.

"I... I don't know," Tauriel whispered.

Dís had suspected as much. She knew about the Durinson's charms, not only because she was a Durinson herself but because she had experienced it firsthand with her brothers, especially young and handsome Frerin...

"Well, you should know that we don't judge you. If you like my youngest more than you should, I'll be fine with it. And I trust in your common sense, your knowledge about his condition," Dís reminded Tauriel.

This time, the young nurse sighed. "I know. That's why I wanted to quit my job. But if you you say it's not necessary..."

She didn't finish that sentence, though. And Dís knew everything she needed.

"My offer still stands, you know. If this causes you some kind of discomfort, we can rise your salary," Dís proposed, but Tauriel shook her head vehemently.

"No, that wouldn't be right. But if you didn't have any reservations about this, then I would like to keep my job because... because this is a nice household to work for," Tauriel confessed and Dís couldn't help but take the girl's hand into hers.

"You should know, Tauriel, that you are very welcome here!" she revealed and the two women shared an honest smile


	8. Second Interlude

I'd like to thank all my readers for being interested in this story and especially pallysdeeks for the review on the last chapter:)

* * *

Around midnight a doctor and a nurse came into the hospital room, checking on the machines, checking on the baby, then calling Sigrid and Fíli aside; the young couple was holding hands, their fingers entwined so tightly that their knuckles had turned white.

"I'm sorry, but your daughter is not getting any better. We should turn the machines off," he declared.

Sigrid shook her head vehemently. "No! No, we shouldn't! What if she'll get better tomorrow? You cannot do that!" she screamed.

"If it's about money... My uncle and my mother will gladly pay the bills..." Fíli choked out.

The doctor smiled sadly at them. "It's not about money. We just don't want to make her suffer any longer. It's time to let her go," the doctor explained.

That was too much for Sigrid; she had an emotional breakdown. Fíli wanted to console his girlfriend, he really did, but he couldn't. So he just let her crumble to the ground, screaming and sobbing until Dís and Tauriel came over to them, helping Sigrid to get up, trying to comfort her while Kíli and Thorin rushed to Fíli's side.

"What's wrong, Fee? Why is Sigrid so sad?" Kíli kept asking and Fíli just wanted his little brother to shut up but didn't have the heart to tell him. It was his uncle who shushed Kíli, taking both of his nephews into his arms, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads.

"It's alright, everything will be alright," he whispered, which made Fíli angry.

"How can you say that, Uncle, they want to turn the machines off, they want to kill my baby girl!" he exclaimed while trying to free himself from his uncle's embrace, but failing. The older male was still so much stronger than him.

"Shh, lad, I won't let that happen. Remember when it was Kíli being dependent on those machines? We fought for him and look how well he is now, being engaged and all! Before anyone can take off the machines, they will have to kill me first!" he reassured his desperate nephew and Fíli just buried his face in his uncle's chest, inhaling the familiar scent of coffee and leather and tobacco. One of his first memories was related to that scent, being held by his uncle while crying because he had skinned his knees while playing outside.

Fíli wished that his life was still as simple as it had been then.

"Maybe... maybe you should tell that to the doctors!" Fíli hoarsely declared.

"Aye, I will," Thorin responded, his face grim.


	9. Surprise

Although Tauriel had the day off, she decided to stay with the Durinson family, not really being in the mood to deal with her stepfather and stepbrother. Or her friends.

And she really liked her small, but cozy attic room with the skylight window above her bed through which she could see the stars at night, though her stepbrother usually called it 'the servants' quarters', scrunching up his nose. The room even had an adjoining bathroom, so that she didn't need to use one of the two bathrooms on the first floor or the bathroom on the ground floor with the rest of the family.

Her contract stated that she would have one night and one day per week off, usually on the weekends because then the family had time to take care of Kíli themselves. Not that he really needed being taken care of, it was more about preventing him from doing something stupid, from accidentally hurting himself, from getting bored. Yet due to his brain injury it could happen that he had seizures or conniption fits and needed medication, even at night. That was the reason why there was a baby monitor in his bedroom and the counterpart in hers. When she had the night off, she handed the parent unit of the baby monitor over to Kíli's mother, brother or uncle, like last night, when it was Thorin's turn to take care of his nephew since Dís had some work for their company to do and Fíli had gone out with his girlfriend.

Tauriel couldn't help but smile when she thought about the sweet, young girl Fíli was head over heels with, although Thorin seemed to be worried about the girl's age. Tauriel vividly remembered the argument Fíli and his uncle had had one Sunday morning at breakfast when Fíli had announced that Sigrid would come over for dinner that evening. Thorin had claimed that she was too young and Fíli should rather look for girls his age to date.

Of course, Fíli had gotten really angry at that, telling his uncle that he would either date Sigrid or no one at all. Luckily, Dís had come to her son's aid, looking her older brother straight in the eyes, saying, "Remember, Thorin? Love conquers all!"

To everyone's surprise, Fíli's uncle had just growled something unintelligible and focused his attention back on his breakfast. Of course, Sigrid had come over for dinner and had been welcomed by Dís and Kíli and tolerated by Thorin.

When Tauriel opened the door to her small bathroom in order to take a shower and get ready for the day, she was surprised to find this girl, Sigrid, Fíli's girlfriend, sitting on the floor in the bathroom, crying.

Tauriel frowned. "Sigrid? What happened? Did you have a fight with Fíli?" she asked, crouching down next to her.

Sigrid shook her head, trying to wipe away her tears and regain her composure.

"N-no. I just... I had to..." she tried to say, but obviously couldn't, shaking her head. Then she revealed what she was clutching in her right hand to Tauriel.

The redhead needed a moment to comprehend what it was. A pregnancy test. With two blue stripes. It was positive.

Now Tauriel understood the girl's desperation. Knowing that Sigrid had only turned eighteen four months ago and was still a nurse in training, the pregnancy was definitely not planned.

"Oh, Sigrid, I'm..." Tauriel interrupted, unsure what to say. Concerning the circumstances, she had wanted to say ' _I'm sorry_ ', but somehow it seemed inappropriate. Expecting a child was a reason to cheer, not to be sad. Yet congratulating Sigrid seemed also inappropriate since the girl was obviously not happy about being pregnant.

Sigrid wiped her tears away. "It's okay, Tauriel, it's not your fault. I'm just... I don't know what to do!" she confessed.

Tauriel frowned. "Did you talk to Fíli? I mean, you took a pregnancy test, so you must have had some symptoms that made you believe you could be pregnant," she remarked.

Sigrid nodded. "I'm almost a week late. It hast never happened before. I haven't told him, though. He might think I've planned this to trick him into marrying me. You've certainly noticed that his family is pretty loaded," she answered, looking up at Tauriel with her tear-filled, lake-blue eyes.

Although Tauriel wasn't really fond of bodily contact, she took the girl into her arms, trying to offer some comfort.

"I'm sure he won't think like that, Sigrid. He adores you. Maybe... maybe he will be happy about the news?" Tauriel suggested.

Sigrid sniffed. "Maybe... maybe not. He is only twenty-three, has just graduated from college. Do you really think that he is ready to start a family?"

Tauriel had to admit that this was a difficult question. She was almost one year older than Fíli and knew that she desired a child more than anything else in this world, yet being asexual (and probably aromantic?) wasn't really something that would make it easier for her to become a mother...

She wasn't a virgin, though.

When they had been teenagers, her stepbrother had been her best friend. They had done everything together, like sneaking out at night, going to parties, getting drunk. And Legolas had been single, like her. So, to them, it had seemed natural that they would try out together what sex was like since all of their other friends seemed to praise it as the best experience of their lives.

Well, for Tauriel and Legolas it had been far from it.

Of course, it had been somehow pleasurable, yet it hadn't been something they had wanted to repeat. Furthermore, six months later, Legolas had confessed to her that he was gay.

And since he had been her only experience and she had never really felt sexually attracted to anyone, she had come to the conclusion that she must be asexual.

"Tauriel?"

Sigrid woke her from her musings.

So, Tauriel cleared her throat. "I don't know, Sigrid. But I can tell you this: Fíli is a very generous and kind person. I see how he interacts with Kíli and from that I can tell you that he would make a good father. Yet, you will only find out how he thinks about starting a family if you ask him", the older girl advised.

Sigrid bit her lower lip and nodded. "You are right. But... I don't know... I would appreciate if you could be there with me when I tell him?" she requested.

Tauriel took a deep breath. "I don't know, Sigrid... It's a very intimate moment... Maybe it should just be and your boyfriend?" she suggested, but Sigrid shook her head vehemently.

"No, I need some female support. And Fíli likes you, he really does, he says that you are his best female friend. And you are in the Durin's good books..." the younger girl confessed.

Tauriel sighed. "Well, fine then, I will be there for you when you tell Fíli... But I hope I can take a shower before that," she said.

Sigrid chuckled. "Oh, definitely. You can even have several showers. Fíli took his little brother to the zoo and won't be back till this afternoon!"

Tauriel smiled at the other girl. "All right, we'll tell him this afternoon about your condition!"

Sigrid just smiled back and grabbed Tauriel's hand, squeezing it.


	10. Truth

I'd like to thank all my readers for their interest in this story and especially pallysdeeks for her regular comments

* * *

Sigrid spent the rest of the morning and a huge part of the afternoon with Tauriel in her room, after calling her father and saying that she would stay with a friend.

They watched a couple of DVDs together, talked, laughed and ate Tauriel's secret stack of biscuits.

At about four o'clock in the afternoon, Fíli and his brother came back from the zoo. Of course, an over-excited Kíli immediately ran up the stairs to tell Tauriel about his day and to show her what Fíli had bought for him.

"Look, Tauriel, look! Fíli bought me a plush koala! I love koalas, they smell of eu-... erm... eucalyptus, like my bubble bath and my shampoo!" he explained, presenting a huge stuffed animal to Tauriel.

She smiled genuinely at him, mussing up his hair by running her hand through it.

Sigrid noticed how this gesture made Fíli frown, knowing that it was too intimate and rather too affectionate but before Sigrid could make a remark, Fíli noticed that his girlfriend was in the room with them.

"Sigrid! I thought you wanted to go home to help your father with your siblings," he remarked.

She blushed. "Well, yeah, that was the original plan.. But then I ran into Tauriel and we... erm... well...we..." She seemed to have trouble finishing the sentence and looked at Tauriel for support.

Fíli smiled smugly. "Please don't tell me that you two fell madly in love with each other and plan to elope together", he joked.

Sigrid bit her lower lip and shook her head. Usually, she appreciated Fíli's sense of humour, but today it only increased her nervousness. However, Kíli's shaken expression made her almost laugh. She knew that Fíli's little brother had a crush on his nurse, though it was futile; he was not stupid or mentally retarded, yet he was special, having the mind of a little boy due to his accident when he was twelve. Sigrid had read his medical records, only to find out that his condition seemed to be a rather unique case since he had recovered quickly and better than anyone had expected, constantly surprising his doctors with his progress. However, he wasn't like other young men his age...

"Sigrid?"

Fíli's voice brought her back to the here and now. He really looked concerned, frowning and scowling at the same time.

"Sorry, I.. I'm just..." she stuttered.

Luckily, Tauriel came to her aid. "Fíli, Sigrid needs to tell you something. Something serious," she explained.

Now, the blond-haired young man looked really concerned.

"Sigrid, what is it? You are really worrying me, girl," he exclaimed and Sigrid flinched.

Immediately, Tauriel was at her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, clearing her throat. "Maybe you should just bring Kíli to his room, then come back here because... because it really is a sensitive subject," Tauriel elaborated, looking sternly at her employers' oldest son and nephew.

Fíli ran his hands through his golden locks, nodding slowly. "Alright. You are right. I'll bring Kíli to his room and put his favourite DVD into the player, then I'll come back and we'll talk. Come, Kíli!"

Extending his hand to his younger brother, he turned on his heel.

Confused, Kíli looked between his brother and the girls, then he took Fíli's hand, letting himself being led out of Tauriel's room.

"What's wrong with Sigrid, Fíli? Is she sick?" he asked while the brothers left Tauriel's small chamber.

"I don't know, Kíli, but that is none of your concern, okay? I'll find out and tell you later," he reassured his younger brother, while closing the door to Tauriel's room. Kíli, however, had more to say, as the girls could hear from the small corridor, through the closed door.

"I think something is wrong with her, Fíli. She looks paler and more tired than usual and smells differently," he frankly revealed.

Sigrid felt her stomach clench. "What did he say?" she whispered shell-shocked.

Tauriel bit her lower lip before answering, "He... he can sense things... sometimes. Only last year, he found out that his uncle was in danger of having a heart attack, even before he showed any symptoms. And this spring he noticed that his mother had pneumonia before she even felt ill. And he detected my... cystitis a couple of weeks ago," Tauriel explained, blushing.

"Oh, I didn't know that... I just thought that... well, I don't want to sound rude but I thought that this Professor Gandalf was using an euphemism in his report about Kíli's mental abilities when he said that Kíli was special," she confessed.

Tauriel smiled fondly at her. "Oh, no, he really meant it like that: Kíli is special. Professor Gandalf is a distinguished expert in psychology, yet he admitted that he had never dealt with a case like Kíli's," the redhead revealed.

Sigrid nodded slowly, trying to comprehend what she had just learned. Fíli had always been vague when talking about his little brother, only mentioning the accident and that Kíli was mentally like an eight-to-ten-year old, nothing more. After that exchange they fell silent.

However, they didn't have to wait long before Fíli returned, sans Kíli.

"So, what do you want to tell me, Sigrid?" he asked seriously while sitting down on the chair at Tauriel's desk (that also fulfilled the function of a vanity, considering the mirror on the wall behind it and the hair care utensils, make-up and nail polish next to a notebook, some notepads and several pens), his hands folded in his lap. If he found it strange that Tauriel was also in the room with them though this was a sensitive subject, he didn't say.

Sigrid, who was sitting next to Tauriel on the nurse's queen-sized four-poster bed, sighed before burting out, "I'm pregnant!"

Fíli's reaction was hilarious. His eyes went wide while he pressed his lips into a thin line, taking several deep breaths, flaring his nostrils.

"Are you sure?" he finally squeaked.

Sigrid nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I did a pregnancy test this morning... Tauriel?"

The redhead retrieved something from her nightstand, handing it to Fíli; it was Sigrid's positive pregnancy test. As soon as he comprehended what it was, he pressed a hand to his mouth.

"Oh... my... god..." he said slowly and quietly, "I'm going to be a father! We are having a baby! Oh, Sigrid, my uncle is going to kill me! My mother is going to kill me... if _your father_ doesn't kill me first, that is!"

In his panic, he looked so adorable that Sigrid couldn't help but fall in love with him all over again. Without thinking twice, she got up from Tauriel's bed, kneeling down in front of him, taking his strong, calloused hands into hers.

"Nobody is going to kill you because I won't let them! You are the father of my child and I love you!" she declared.

Fíli smiled fondly at her, freeing his hands and cupping her cheeks with them. "So, you want to have this child? Don't get me wrong, I would be honoured to start a family with you, yet you are so young and if you have any doubts... I just want you to know that I will support you, no matter what your decision is," he said honestly.

Sigrid stood up, putting her hands on his cheeks and looking down at him, deeply into his eyes. "I want this child!" she stated firmly before kissing him.

"Then it's settled... We'll become parents. But we will have to tell your family... and mine," he mentioned, panting after they had separated.

Sigrid gave him a shy smile. "Knowing that you will support me, that we are in this together, will make it easier for me," she confessed.

Fíli looked deeply into her eyes for a moment, then he grinned before kissing her passionately.


	11. Third Interlude

My thanks go to all my readers, especially to **pallysdeeks** and **franco-andrade** for their comments on the last chapter!

* * *

While Sigrid and Fíli vehemently refused to turn the machines off, supported by Thorin, Dís and Bard, arguing with the consultant and head of nurses,Tauriel called her stepfather, asking for his help; Thranduil wasn't a very social person, yet he knew the right people.

And although it was in the middle of the night, he obviously managed to make a few phone calls so that only fifteen minutes later, one of the best doctors in the country – Dr. Elrond Rivendell – called the hospital, informing them that Svenja Bowman would now be his patient and needed to be transferred to his clinic.

The consultant had no other choice than to comply.

„Okay, Dr. Rivendell's clinic is a two- to three-hours drive from here. Svenja will get there by helicopter, but we will have to take the car, well several cars in our case," Tauriel explained to the family.

Bard nodded grimly, pulling Bain and Tilda closer, Thorin frowned suspiciously, his right hand resting on Fíli's shoulder, while he held Kíli's hand in his left, and Dís looked curiously at the redhead, her arm tightly wrapped around Sigrid's shoulders.

„Who is this Dr. Rivendell? And why would he try to help us?" Thorin finally asked.

Fíli snorted. „I don't care, Uncle, as long as he will try anything to keep my daughter alive!" the blond young man declared.

It was obvious that Thorin wanted to counter something but they were interrupted by a young and timid nurse who had to prepare Svenja for the transport.

Sigrid immediately freed herself from Dís and rushed over to her baby girl, bending over the infant, kissing her forehead.

„Mummy loves you, Svenja, more than anyone or anything else in this world!" she sobbed, caressing the child's chubby cheeks, tiny hands and little feet.

Tentatively, Fíli drew closer to his girlfriend and their daughter, placing lightly his hand on Sigrid's back, grabbing carefully the baby's hand with his other one so that she could wrap her fingers around his pointer.

„Goodbye, baby. See you in a couple of hours," he whispered, then he bend down as well and placed a soft kiss on Svenja's forehead.

„I'm sorry, I hate to interrupt, but I really have to get her ready for the transfer now," the nurse declared and Fíli and Sigrid nodded, stepping back from the cot.

Instinctively, Sigrid leant against her boyfriend and he wrapped his arms around her while watching how their daughter was prepared for the transport to another hospital; silent tears were streaming down Sigrid's cheeks and Fíli scowled.

When the nurse left the room with Svenja, the whole family followed.


End file.
